Ute Mountaineer

I would agree that some of the employees are indifferent, but when engaged you’ll find they are not without knowledge. If you know what you want the selection is bountiful and their end of seasons sale is always a winner to beat the prices.

if you see something you like buy as they will run out of the item. i’ve learned my lesson. taxes are crazy here but its Aspen ^_^

I have been spending my winter holidays in Aspen for several years in a row, and a visit to this town is never complete without at least one (or more!) stroll through «The Ute».
On this most recent trip, the staff at Ute Mountaineer staff exceeded my expectations with great customer service and prompt delivery on their word.
In spite of the usual craziness that happens in Aspen during this time of year, I was able to drop off a pair of Scarpa AT boots that had a warranty issue, with assurance from the management that the work would be finished much sooner than I would have thought. Ute Mountaineer had the parts to perform the repair in-​house, and I had the boots back before I needed them next.
They have a great variety of clothing from a fairly wide range of manufacturers, tons of camping + glamping accessories, the latest in featherweight equipment for aspiring ski mountaineers, an extensive range of maps, and a veritable library of outdoor activity-​related books.
Ute Mountaineer may be the only store of its kind in Aspen, but don’t be fooled by any misleading Unilocal reviews about this place. Nit-​picky complaints and unrealistic, over-​the-​top expectations say far more about the bizarre, fur-​clad goofballs that frequent this town over Xmas and New Years than it does about the hard-​working staff at Ute Mountaineer.
I’ll be back again next year to see what new back country goodies they have in stock!

They were so rude. I asked to use the restroom and they said «yes but you can’t use it». This place is very expensive to be rude to customers. Go to Marmot, they are so much nicer.

This place is awful. Period. Here’s why: no respect for the costumer or their hard earned dollar. They treated me as if a day of unused tele gear was, unquestionably, not worth the refund for a day of unused gear. I pre-​payed for a two days, and they said they would refund the money if I didn’t use them on both days. When I brought the gear back a day early, they they didn’t want to refund me, and it became a confrontation that left me sick in my stomach. I cannot believe these people would treat a customer so poorly over something so trivial.

I ordered a pair of boots over 3 weeks ago, paying a $ 40 deposit, and never heard from them again. The first time I went back to the store they said that it was a company issue and the boots should arrive shortly. Another week goes by… still nothing. I returned to the store to cancel my order and they could find no record of the order, so so there goes my $ 40. They pretty much said sorry but since I could not find my receipt there is nothing we can do about it. I won’t be shopping there anymore, a perfect example of why the internet is taking over, poor customer service, when customer service is the only thing you have to offer.

This store has great gear if you don’t mind their even higher than even Aspen prices, little or no service and generally arrogant and rude and sales people! Since they have a virtual monopoly in town, perhaps they don’t need to care.
I have been a customer for many years but something about their staff’s attitude changed when they changed location a couple of years ago. Henceforth I will avoid this store whenever possible.

This store has awesome gear and the pricing is pretty fair. I called in advance and they had the binding I wanted and it was on sale. I asked about mounting and was told that it was $ 45 to mount. I asked why there was a fee since I was purchasing them at their store and was then told they could do it for $ 35. So I made the trek from Snowmass to drop my boards off. As soon as I walked in the door my eyes became wide with excitement as this store is pretty well stocked for it’s size. I’m a gear addict so I was on a high.
However, the issue came when I went back to pick up my skis. I must say that I have never paid $ 60.00 to have bindings switched out. So needless to say I was a bit shocked when told I had to cough up the cash. ($ 1.00 per minute was the reason given). Huh? Every shop that I have ever purchased bindings at mounted them either complimentary or at a discount. I would have at least expected some sort of attempt at trying to please the customer since I balked at the bill. I feel very much taken advantage of and will not shop here again until they get their shop under control.
So I will shop online and stick to the shops where I know I’m not going to be taken for a ride because I am a woman.
End of rant…

Helpful. When a pair of vintage hiking boots imploded on a vacation hike the helpful staff got us outfitted with a new pair of light weight hiking boots and we were back on the trail ASAP. Thanks,

Mildly obsessed w this shop

Oh Ute Mountaineer, who else would have guided my uncoordinated ass through winter sporting?
I’ve tried downhill skiing and snowboarding once and I remember falling/​cursing a lot. I wanted to try X-​Country skiing and snowshoeing, but we weren’t sure where we should go to do either of these things, so we went to Ute and inquired about the local trails.
We originally wanted to go to the Maroon Bells, but I guess it’s 6 miles each way to even see the Bells, and I’m totally uncoordinated and inept, so that idea was nixed quickly. The guys we were talking with were SUPER friendly and genuinely enjoyed their jobs, which was nice. They were clearly outdoorsy people.
They advised us to snowshoe up Buttermilk, and buy a gondola ride up Ajax and X-​Country ski at the top. We took them up on both their suggestions (and rented X-​Country Skis from Ute) and had a great time.
I still cursed a lot (and fell a lot X-​Country Skiing), but we will return to Ute for any future rental needs.

great mountaineering store

A selection that beats much larger stores, particularly in BC ski equipment. Need a cable for your 1999 Tele bindings? They might be the only place in Colorado that has it.

This is a fun shop if you’re into mountain stuff. In some ways it’s limited and in others it has an amazing variety when you consider Aspen’s astronomical rents. It’s also a good source of information. They carry about everything you’ll need from ice axes to cliff bars. Their prices are amazingly fair considering where they are. I also find that most times the staff is quite helpful.

This is an awesome outdoor equipment store — sort of a Tiffany’s for the outdoor set. They carry the best brands and, while the prices are up there, they are not out-​of-​line for this equipment. They had some really nice off-​season sales.